Compounds of the Invention as Antilipolytic Agents
Atherosclerosis and stroke are the numbers one and number three leading causes of death of both men and women in the United States. Type 2 diabetes is a public health problem that is serious, widespread and increasing. Elevated levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or low levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol are, independently, risk factors for atherosclerosis and associated cardiovascular pathologies. In addition, high levels of plasma free fatty acids are associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. One strategy for decreasing LDL-cholesterol, increasing HDL-cholesterol and decreasing plasma free fatty acids is to inhibit lipolysis in adipose tissue. This approach involves regulation of hormone sensitive lipase, which is the rate-limiting enzyme in lipolysis. Lipolytic agents increase cellular levels of cAMP, which leads to activation of hormone sensitive lipase within adipocytes. Agents that lower intracellular cAMP levels, by contrast, would be antilipolytic.
It is also worth noting in passing that an increase in cellular levels of cAMP down-regulates the secretion of adiponectin from adipocytes [Delporte, M L et al. Biochem J (2002) July]. Reduced levels of plasma adiponectin have been associated with metabolic-related disorders, including atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes [Matsuda, M et al. J Biol Chem (2002) July and reviewed therein].
Nicotinic acid (niacin, pyridine-3-carboxylic acid) is a water-soluble vitamin required by the human body for health, growth and reproduction; a part of the Vitamin B complex. Nicotinic acid is also one of the oldest used drugs for the treatment of dyslipidemia. It is a valuable drug in that it favorably affects virtually all of the lipid parameters listed above [Goodman and Gilman's Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, editors Harmon J G and Limbird L E, Chapter 36, Mahley R W and Bersot T P (2001) pages 971-1002]. The benefits of nicotinic acid in the treatment or prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease have been documented in six major clinical trials [Guyton J R (1998) Am J Cardiol 82:18U-23U]. Nicotinic acid and related derivatives, such as, acipimox have recently been discussed [Lorenzen, A et al (2001) Molecular Pharmacology 59:349-357].
Nicotinic acid inhibits the production and release of free fatty acids from adipose tissue, likely via an inhibition of adenylyl cyclase, a decrease in intracellular cAMP levels and a concomitant decrease in hormone sensitive lipase activity. Agonists that down-regulate hormone sensitive lipase activity leading to a decrease in plasma free fatty acid levels are likely to have therapeutic value. The consequence of decreasing plasma free fatty acids is two-fold. First, it will ultimately lower LDL-cholesterol and raise HDL-cholesterol levels, independent risk factors, thereby reducing the risk of mortality due to cardiovascular incidence subsequent to atheroma formation. Second, it will provide an increase in insulin sensitivity in individuals with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, the use of nicotinic acid as a therapeutic is partially limited by a number of associated, adverse side-effects. These include flushing, free fatty acid rebound and liver toxicity.
The rational development of novel, nicotinic acid receptor agonists that have fewer side-effects will be valuable, but to date this has been hindered by the inability to molecularly identify the nicotinic acid receptor. Furthermore, other receptors of the same class may exist on the surface of adipocytes and similarly decrease hormone sensitive lipase activity through a reduction in the level of intracellular cAMP but without the elicitation of adverse effects such as flushing, thereby representing promising novel therapeutic targets. Recent work suggests that nicotinic acid probably acts through a specific GPCR [Lorenzen A, et al. (2001) Molecular Pharmacology 59:349-357 and reviewed therein]. Further work has suggested that the effects of nicotinic acid on macrophages, spleen and probably adipocytes are mediated via this specific GPCR [Lorenzen A, et al. (2002) Biochemical Pharmacology 64:645-648 and reviewed therein].